Product Description
The wonderful story of Bubber the Lemming that teaches everyone something about conformity and individual values ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Fine for Children in the Recommended Age Range
I read this book when I was about 6-7 years old. They had it at my school's library, and it was one of the first books I read (on my own, outside of class). The main pieces of the book I remember were the lemmings' mass suicide, and the main character having the intelligence and foresight to not join in. It didn't disturb or frighten me at that age, it just left me feeling very perplexed at the idiocy of the lemmings. It didn't "corrupt" my young mind in anyway, and though I don't remember there being any swear words as another reviewer had mentioned if there were they never influenced me in any manner, in other words I was never one to swear in my childhood. However, it did have enough of an impact on me that I have never forgot it, and throughout my life I have come to understand the deeper meanings of what Alan Arkin was trying to get at (not to sound conceited) at a seemingly faster rate than some of my peers who had not been exposed to such literature at the age range that I had. It's been so long (well over a decade, not quite two) that I can't really comment on how well it was actually written or the depth of the characters and such, all I can comment on is that it can be a very influential book for children in the recommended age range (4-8). Influential in a positive way, of course. On a side-note, it did prompt me to learn more about lemmings... What was disturbing for me at that age: finding out what the company who made the majority of films I was watching had done to those poor lemmings.

it is for Adults, if you give this to a child, it may disturb them for a long time
The lemming condition is written like a Children's story but it is not.
the message in it is for more adults than Kids.
if read in schools I suggest above sixth grade, it is not descriptively Violent, it just is very unnatural for a book written like it to contain the things it does, most children will not expect such a ending do to it is a fairy tale sort of thing, and so get into the mind fix that the ending is happy, almost all the characters commit a unknowingly suicide, falling off the cliff one after another.

Sincerely,
disturbed Teenager

P.s. Read it. It is good, just not for Kids.

!! EXCELLENT Read Aloud or Read Alone!!
As an elementary school teacher, I have read this book aloud to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. It is an amazing springboard for discussion and can be tailored to any age group--adults included. Those who arrogantly posit how simplistic this book is, apparently have not dealt with children. Ihave been amazed with the many themes I have been able to use in the classroom--not just life lessons (not following the crowd, thinking for yourself, friendship, tolerance, etc.), but with teaching writing.

Caveat: Make sure the children know that scientifically, it is not true that lemmings run off cliffs. Focus on the fact that because the main character chose to think for himself, he saved himself from a lot of heartache and was able to continue to grow and learn.

an old favorite
I read this book back in the eighties while I was teaching.This summer I read it again with a couple of middle and upper elementary aged kids.To me it's a classic story, written simply but with a rare combination of lightness, humor and a look at the important ideas concerning "following your own path."It's a book that parents can read with their kids and use the story lines to discuss all sorts of ideas.It's a children's book that doesn't talk down to kids.In fact, it's a simple story for all ages.

The Lemming Condition
Bubber, your average Lemming, was just another Lemming in the field. Then all of a sudden, every Lemming starts talking, and talking about one thing only. Traveling west. Every Lemming in the whole colony is heading west. They don't know why and they don't how far they're going. That is, until Bubber talks to his friend Crow. Then he realizes that he's going to need to jump off a cliff and into water to get there, which is fine except for one small thing. He doesn't know if Lemmings can swim! Bubber tries to figure out what's going on and what they should do.
This is a good book for all ages. It is easy enough for young readers to understand and has a hidden message for older people. Some readers may think that this is a book for only young kids but as you get along the way, you'll find that this is good for all ages. I was surprised to find out that Alan Arkin is an actor and an author as well. Alan Arkin puts you in a position you're not in every day. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a quick, but good story.
-Brendan Goggins
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Enjoyable Information
"Halfway Through the Door" is a short informative, enjoyable book.The book documents Alan Arkin as a seeker of personal truths as he finds a teacher and his own wisdom. ... Read more

Product Description
Bubber the Lemming joins a group of forest animals in their quest for spiritual understanding and self-knowledge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hmmm....
I really like this book, but there is this kind of religious undertone to it. Y'know, like The Chronicals of Narnia. That kinda gives me a bad feeling about it. That doesn't make it a worse book, but it does make me a bit uncomfortable. Anyway, it's a very good book, and I sure don't see why it's out of print. That surprises me, since I have been getting it out of the library for years, not having my own copy.

A witty tale about the tribualtions of Bubber the Lemming
I read this book a few years ago, but I just recently read The LemmingCondition, the obvious prequel to this story.This is a really good bookan I recomend anyone who reads it to first read The Lemming Condition bythe same author. ... Read more

Product Description
$15.95 hardcover · 1-58685-181-0

9 x 10 ½ in, 32 pp, Color Illustrations Throughout, Rights: W, Children, Ages 5 to 8

The new house in the country needs fixing. Father is hammering, Mother is sewing, Matthew is painting, and Adam is chopping. But four-year-old Tony isn't doing anything because they won't let him help. "You are too small," they all say . . . or so they think.

So, with his dog at his side, Tony goes for a walk in the woods and decides that he will work on his own project. And that is exactly what he does-with mud and water, leaves and grass, trees and pebbles, and stones. Tony works the whole day long, and what he does will delight his readers as much as it excites his family.

Back in print for its thirty-year anniversary, Tony's Hard Work Day celebrates the imagination and determined spirit in every child.

Alan Arkin is an Oscar-nominated and Tony award-winning actor, director, and writer. He has authored six books for children, including The Lemming Condition, which was chosen for inclusion in the White House library.

AnnMarie Mazuran Infanger earned a BFA in illustration from Brigham Young University.She lives with her husband near Salt Lake City and hopes to someday have a dog like Tony's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Favorite book
This was my favorite book growing up. I think of it often. I must have had the older version (with different illustrations than one pictured here).

Wonderful book!!!! (I have the old copy)
I got a copy of the older version, illustrated by James Stevenson - it is a treasure. I LOVE IT! Have read it to my grandkids and they love it. GREAT humor and pictures. Wish the new one was illustrated by James Stevenson! It is a book worth owning!

A really good book.
I read this book at school. I was impressed by the language.The day before I read this book I found out that the author wrote this book about his three sons.

My favorite book as a child
This was my favorite book when I was little. Now that I'm a father, Ican't seem to find my copy (I managed to keep it for 20+ years, but I mayhave just had one move too many), so I was sad to see it was out of print.

Hopefully it will turn up, because this book is a real gem.

My favorite book as a child
This was my favorite book when I was little. Now that I'm a father, I was ecstatic that I could find my copy from 30 years ago, as I was sad to see it was out of print.
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Product Description

As a treat, Grandpa tells Molly she can have one present from Flekman's.Just one.But Flekman's has everything: stuffed camels and stuffed bears, dolls that walk and dolls that wet, indoor games and outdoor games.How can Molly choose only one present?

Molly decides to try out a few toys.First she chooses a bear and takes it for a walk -- not quite right.Then decides on a camra -- so it takes pictures, so what?Pretty soon Grandpa finds her dressed as a pirate, piling up toys like a treasure.Then, when Flekman's Feaver is at its highest, Molly comes up with a crafty solution to her problim.What will Grandpa do when Molly decides she wants it all, she wants everything, she wants Flekman's!As a treat, Grandpa tells Molly she can have one present from Flekmans. Just one. But Flekmans has everything: stuffed camels and stuffed bears, dolls that walk and wet, indoor games and outdoor games. How can Molly choose only one present? She wants EVERYTHING! As Flekman fever rises, Molly is swinging from the chandeliers and Grandpa is tied up in knots until Molly finally finds a crafty solution to her problem.

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Customer Reviews (1)

A present for the whole family!!
Terrific story to read aloud.Anyone who has ever visited FOA Schwartz or other giant toy store will appreciate this story about Molly and her Grampa.How to choose just one present??? You will enjoy this delightful tale, I promise. ... Read more

Product Description
When Hallie and David decide they want a pet cow, their father reluctantly agrees. After all, the children have promised to take care of it, and it will be an educational experience for everybody. But as the family brings their new pet home to their farm, they can't even begin to imagine how educational the experience of living with Cassie will turn out to be. The cow won't produce milk, and the kids try everything. And then they hit upon the solution: Beethoven. Not only does Cassie begin to produce milk, but she develops an insatiable fascination for music and, well, she talks. But Cassie's love for music may get her in trouble when she decides to become a concert pianist.

This wonderful story from renowned actor and author Alan Arkin explores the unique dynamics that make up every family, the small triumphs that flavor life, and the enduring beauty and appeal of music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An amazing book!
I love this book! it is fun and lovely and really quite cuttie wootie~

Cassie Loves beethoven
I thought that Cassie Loves Beethoven was good because she could talk and play the piano.Then when she here's Beethoven's music her whole life changes.So then she goe's to a concert and she decides she need's to play an instrument,she tries almost every instrument but nothing seem's to work.Then Hallie and David's dad Myles made Cassie a 40 foot long piano.Then Cassie became very famous,then got mad at a newspaper review and got in a fight.From then on she just played for fun and with no audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shallowly riotous
Of the three one-acts collected here, the first two have only minimal depth and the third doesn't have any. Doesn't matter. Alan Arkin and Elaine May have brilliant comic minds, and put them to excellent use on this project.

My personal favorite of the three is May's opener, "The Way of All Fish", in which a meek secretary attempts to shift the balance of power away from her difficult boss, with bizarre and side-splitting results. But there are amusing lines and intriguing situations in all three. Reading this book isn't quite a substitute for watching May and Arkin perform in their own pieces (or for watching Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, their replacements in the original production), but it has the added benefit of allowing you to go back and excerpt the most quotable lines at your leisure.

Don't hesitate -- just grab it. ... Read more

Product Description
When Molly's grandfather comes to live with her family, it's a big adjustment for all of them. His outrageous stories make Molly's parents believe that his mind is wandering, but Molly thinks the stories are wonderful. Then Grampa's birthday rolls around, and his friends throw him a party that no one will ever forget. ... Read more

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"Successfully Introduced by The Tarriers on Glory Records" (with photograph of The Tarriers on the cover {Erik Darling-Bob Carey- and a very young Alan Arkin}). ... Read more

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Cosmo has lived on the island of Sonamba all of his life. As its self-appointed guardian,each day he patches the wall that surrounds it. He does this while reciting the following instructions: “Hammer in a stick from the billabom bush, then smear it with the tar from the ticamo tree.”He does this to prevent a fate so terrible that it can not be thought about. He does it successfully until the day the townspeople decide to honor him, then disaster strikes. ... Read more

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11" x 14" 16-page pressbook. ... Read more

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Chapters: Anne Ramsey, Alan Arkin, Bret Easton Ellis, Andrea Dworkin, Tim Daly, Patricia Johanson, Jonathan Lethem, Bennington College, Sally Mann, Michael Pollan, Melissa Rosenberg, Carol Channing, Holland Taylor, Anne Waldman, Carolyn Cassady, Louis Calabro, Jr Mitchell, Mark Barnes, James Tenney, Jonathan Elias, Katharine Holabird, Virlana Tkacz, Peter Dinklage, Donna Tartt, Helen Frankenthaler, Nathalie Handal, Bessie Schonberg, List of Bennington College People, Kiran Desai, Liz Rosenberg, Barbara Howes, Richard Deacon, John Billingsley, Marian Zazeela, Mary Ruefle, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Doe Lang, Justin Theroux, Jared Paul Stern, Elizabeth Swados, Susan Crile, Lynn Emanuel, Sandra Hochman, Yasmin Aga Khan, Lucy Simon, Cynthia Macdonald, Myrna Blyth, Lincoln Schatz, Dinah Lenney, Jill Eisenstadt, Julia Randall, Melissa Marr, Robert Sedgwick, Niloufar Talebi, Cora Cohen, Alec Wilkinson, Bruce Berman, Reginald Shepherd, Marianna Pineda, Leslie Mcgrath, Will Stratton, Jovita Moore, Larry Atlas, Kathleen Norris, Marc Spitz, Liz Phillips, Amanda Urban, Amy Gerstler, Mohammed Naseehu Ali, Mary Early, Ellen Mcculloch-Lovell, Libby Zion. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 340. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Andrea Rita Dworkin (September 26, 1946April 9, 2005) was an American radical feminist and writer best known for her criticism of pornography, which she argued was linked to rape and other forms of violence against women. An anti-war activist and anarchist in the late 1960s, Dworkin wrote 10 books on radical feminist theory and practice. During the late 1970s and the 1980s, she gained national fame as a spokeswoman for the feminist anti-pornography movement, and for her writing on pornography and sexuality, particularly in Pornography: Men Possessing Women (1981) and Intercourse...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=22320587 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Alan Arkin, Callum Keith Rennie, Stephen Mchattie, Gordon Pinsent, Kenneth Welsh, Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Mark Mckinney, R. H. Thomson, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Saul Rubinek, Michael Hogan, Don Mckellar, Denis Bernard, Alan Scarfe, Kevin Tighe, Peter Macneill, Rémy Girard, Jean Lapointe, August Schellenberg, Martin Cummins, Gabriel Arcand, Stéphane Rousseau, Germain Houde. Excerpt:Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor , director , and musician. He is best-known for starring in such films as: Catch-22 ; The In-Laws ; Edward Scissorhands ; The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ; Glengarry Glen Ross and Little Miss Sunshine , for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2007. He is the father of actors Adam Arkin , Anthony Arkin , and Matthew Arkin . Personal life Arkin was born in Brooklyn , New York City , the son of Beatrice (née Wortis), a teacher, and David I. Arkin , a painter and writer who mostly worked as a teacher . Arkin was raised in a Jewish family with "no emphasis on religion;" his maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Odessa , Ukraine . The family moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, California when Arkin was 11 years old, but an eight-month Hollywood strike cost Arkin's father a set designer job he had wanted to take. Arkin's parents were accused during the 1950s Red Scare of being Communists , which led to Arkin's father losing his job after refusing to answer questions regarding his political affiliation. David Arkin challenged the dismissal and was ultimately vindicated, but only after his death. Arkin has been married three times. He and Jeremy Yaffe, to whom he was married from 1955 to 1960, have two sons: Adam Arkin , born Aug. 19, 1957, and Matthew Arkin... ... Read more

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Word count: 2360. ... Read more